Nine organizations received Maile Awards from Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau in recognition of their role in "advancing the quality and success of the tourism experience in Hawaii," the HVCB said. The awards, presented at the HVCB's 99th annual luncheon Thursday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa, went to the following: HVCB picks winners
By Russ Lynch
rlynch@starbulletin.com>> Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa, combining "the elegance of modern luxury with the fun and entertainment of Waikiki" for the past 25 years.
>> Pacific Focus Inc., which has showcased Hawaii to the rest of the world for 25 years in films, television and commercial productions, for clients such Paradise Cruises, Aloha Airlines, the Battleship Missouri Memorial and the HVCB.
>> Aloha Tower, which has "stood tall above Honolulu Harbor as a beacon of welcome" for 75 years and since the 1930s has been the centerpiece of the popular "Boat Days."
>> Pioneer Inn, Maui, which next month marks its 100th anniversary and is the oldest hotel in continuous operation in Hawaii, according to the HVCB.
>> Retail Merchants of Hawaii, the trade association for island retailers, formed in 1901 and representing an industry that now employs nearly 20 percent of Hawaii's work force.
>> Sheraton Moana Surfrider, the "First Lady of Waikiki," in operation since March 1901 and the former home of "Hawaii Calls," the radio program that broadcast Hawaii sounds and sensations to millions on the mainland from the 1930s.
>> TheBus, City & County of Honolulu, which carries about 25,000 visitors to Oahu on local trips each day. The HVCB said an estimated 47 percent of Japanese visitors and 21 percent of the visitors from the mainland use TheBus.
>> Travel Holiday Magazine, 100 years old, which has regularly featured Hawaii in its pages and now has a circulation of 650,000.
Young Bros./Hawaiian Tug & Barge, also 100 years old, the towboat and barge business that ships products among all the islands.